In pencils-getting-stuck-in-things news, a man in southern England got his Pencil stuck in a metal pipe on Tuesday morning and had to get it freed with an industrial grinder.

The unfortunate gent, in his early 40s, showed up at Southampton General Hospital with his Pencil stuck in the pipe but did not explain how the little devil got in there. Because the pipe was restricting blood flow and preventing the organ from going flaccid, doctors were stumped.

That's when a squad of firefighters showed up with a 4-1/2-inch metal grinder. In what they described to the Southampton Daily Echo as a "delicate operation," the firefighters cut the pipe from around the man's Pencil. Luckily for the man, a healthy dose of anesthesia was administered first.

"It ... required a very steady hand and the crew was worried about things getting too hot during the cutting," a fire department spokesperson told the newspaper. But the operation was a success and -- rejoice! -- the Pencil is still usable, despite some bruising and swelling. Said the spokesperson, "I'm sure the man won't be getting into that situation again."

We're not so sure. If the mood strikes him and another metal pipe is nearby, there's no telling what could happen.